Episode 252 (Manga)
Synopsis Back in their room at the canteen, Schierke is busy attempting to wash Casca in a wooden tub, blocked from Isidro and Guts' view by a curtain (and with Isidro humorously tied to a chair). Bothered by the fact that he's been prevented from peeping, Isidro fidgets in his chair so that it slowly but surely moves towards the girls' curtain, only for Casca to come bursting out in such a way that the curtain falls onto Isidro's head, preventing him from seeing anything. Schierke, covered in only a bath towel, rushes to Casca and wraps a bath towel around her, only for Casca to tear off Schierke's own. The force of having her towel torn off sends Schierke flying onto Guts' stomach. Once she realizes that Guts (who in reality is distracted by the pain he feels of Schierke landing on him) has a full view of her naked, Schierke, embarrassed, humorously uses her staff to burn Guts to a crisp. The singed Black Swordsman remarks that Farnese and Serpico have been gone a long time. In the Vandimion estate, Farnese is also busy bathing. She is alone, and finds she is unused to being so after having bathed with Casca numerous times during her travels with Guts. A maidservant enters with a fresh change of clothes for Farnese, who exits the tub and is dried by four maidservants, each wielding their own towel. As the maidservants proceed to dress her, Farnese asks what came of her silver tunic and silver dagger. When a maidservant answers that they are in the process of being disposed of, Farnese flies into a panic and exits the bathroom wearing only her skirt and corset, which only barely keep her modest. Waiting outside the bathroom is a horrified Serpico, who can only watch as his mistress and unknowing half-sister walks half-naked across the hall to stop a fifth maidservant, the one carrying her old clothes and dagger, from leaving. As Farnese cradles her effects in relief, her brother Magnifico enters the room and proclaims that, given Farnese's behavior, he understands why their father holds her in low regard. Farnese is completely dressed by the maidservants before she and Manficio step outside to converse. As they walk through the estate's garden, Farnese and Magnifico discuss their family situation when the topic of the Holy Iron Chain Knights comes up. Unlike Federico, Magnifico does not hold Farnese responsible for the Knights' destruction, but rather Federico himself. Magnifico says that he remembers how Farnese was locked in the estate by her father as a child, who claimed it was for her own protection. However, he sees the whole affair as Federico abandoning his fatherly duty, rather than a consequence of his fatherly duty - Magnifico asserts that all the stigma Farnese was subjected to as a child who wantonly set fire to her own house is Federico's fault. The subject of Federico de Vandimion III comes to an end as Magnifico curses him for seeing his own children as "cogs in the machine called Vandimion". He asks Farnese about the events that led her to visiting the estate, and she recounts how she's made new friends who need a ship to Skellig, though Isidro and Serpico's efforts in finding said ship were in vain. Therefore, Farnese sought to use her father's influence in procuring one. Magnifico stares out to sea, where many ships are anchored. Though, he says, the ship count in Vritannis is currently extremely high, they are mostly being used for warfare against the Kushan and could not be used for travel. However, Magnifico says that he would be able to get a single ship for Farnese, but she must give something in return. Back in the canteen's bedroom, Schierke asks Isidro to see to Casca's meal while Schierke herself tends to Guts, who is still suffering from fatigue. She tries to feed him spoonfuls of soup but, to her extreme embarrassment, he does not comply, and the situation is exacerbated when Serpico walks in and sees her attempting to feed Guts unsuccessfully. However, Serpico is despondent. He tells the group that Farnese was successful in procuring a ship to Skellig. However, she will not be joining them to the island. Characters in Order of Appearance